Journey
by stargazer 1017
Summary: [PRWF] Journals--thank goodness for them. Otherwise, we'd have to keep all our feelings in.
1. Complete Circle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Power Rangers or the concept of it--and using the characters? It's just a once in awhile thing, and without any profit. Really! **Author's Notes:** Had the idea of doing a journal thing for Alyssa during PRWF--and maybe beyond. Since it's journal entries, everything'll be in italics except for "real-time" moments. I'm sure you'll understand when you get into the story.  
It'll be basically how I think Alyssa felt during the series with a some changes, of course. Journey  
_Complete Circle_  
By: stargazer_1017 

_February 15 _

Whew, was today ever a wild day, journal (no pun intended). Know how I've been saying that maybe four rangers wasn't enough? I mean sure, Taylor's a great leader--I never doubted her leadership, but it seemed that the Org's had somehow gotten stronger. After last night's encounter with the Orgs, I couldn't help but feel that four rangers wasn't enough.

"Calm down, guys," a voice said hastilly. I turned around to see Taylor demorph out of her Yellow Ranger suit. She crossed her arms and looked at us. "We're doing just fine." _Now I know Taylor. I know that she was fine with me joining the team but she got even less ecstatic when Max and then Danny joined the team. I knew she would probably be more than less excited to have another ranger join the team._ "Don't all ranger teams usually have five anyway?" Max blurted out. I reached over and nudged Max. He turned to me with a confused look and I widened my eyes at him. Max still didn't understand what I was trying to say. _Boys. . ._ I turned to Taylor. "Well you've gotta admit, Taylor, battles have been getting hard lately. Maybe we need another ranger." Taylor pursed her lips and looked at me thoughtfully. Then she sighed. "Maybe we should talk to Princess Shayla." _What did Princess Shayla have to say? She gave us a new hope._ Princess Shayla smiled gently. "I've just seen the answer to our problems, rangers." I turned to look at Taylor with a hopeful look--and cringed slightly when I noticed she was scowling. Maybe she could see it coming. "The Lion has spoken, and he said that he has chosen a person. He will become the new Red Ranger and your leader." "When will he get here?" Danny asked. "Who is he?" Max added. "Is the Lion sure about this?" Guess who that came from. Princess Shayla smiled again. "His name is Cole, and he will join you shortly." _She told us where we'd find Cole, and early the next morning, we scoped out Turtle Cove Park. It took awhile before we found him, and when we did, I couldn't help but feel relieved. Somehow, looking at Cole even as he slept made me feel optimistic. I could tell everything would be all right. I didn't even realize I was staring at him until Max nudged me from behind._ "So, are you gonna do it?" "Huh?" I blurted. Max gave me a funny look. "Taylor obviously hates the guy. . ." "I don't hate him," Taylor cut in. "I just don't think I should be the one to confront him." She gave a frustrated sigh. "Are we even sure this is the right guy? For all we know, it could be just a homeless guy--and this is who the Lion sent to us?" I smiled at Taylor gently. "I'll find out," I said. I turned around and walked towards Cole. I had the feeling that I shouldn't even had to ask, but I know Taylor--she needs a solid answer. I could hear her foot tapping the ground impatiently as I knelt down to be face-to-face with Cole. "Cole?" I asked gently. I could see Cole's eyes open slightly. "Is your name Cole?" Cole's eyes suddenly widened in horror and I jumped up as he lept to his feet. "Whoa!" I said, holding up my hands. "It's okay!" Cole looked frantically around. _It must've freaked him out to see all of us huddled around him. What would you think if all of a sudden you were awakened by strangers? For all he knew, we could've been muggers or something--which is probably what he was thinking because he started to tense up. If Cole was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, I bet he'd probably have bursted through his shirt. *ahem* Yep, I'm getting off subject. Anyway-- _ "Please, we need you to come with us," I tried again. "Yeah come on! It'll be great!" Max called out, grinning ear to ear as he grabbed Cole by the arm and started dragging him off. I was about to warn Max to take it easy when Cole jerked his arm back and started backing away from Max--only to bump into Danny. Danny looked shyly at Cole. "You can come with us, and--uh. . ." He trailed off after that. What was he supposed to say? You can come with us and save the world? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a flash of yellow. I watched as Taylor marched off to Cole. She spun him around-- _And she punched him, journal--right in the stomach. I wince even just remembering it. Guess what she told him as he doubled over from pain. "Sorry Jungle Boy, you've just been drafted" Then she stalked off. I turned back to Cole, who had fallen into Danny's arms, out cold. I shook my head and took off after Taylor. After we reached the Animarium, Taylor stalked up right to Princess Shayla._ "How do we know this is really him?" she demanded. "Have faith, Taylor," Princess Shayla replied. "When Cole awakens, then we'll know the truth." _And did we find the truth? Yeah, we did--Cole showed us his Animal Crystal, with the Lion inside. He was surprised when we showed him our crystals. And then came the trial by fire--the Orgs we had fought the night before showed up again. Cole did fine for his first fight with the Orgs. I thought he would feel awkward, and I guess he did at first, but afterwards, he kicked butt. The only person that didn't warm up to Cole was Taylor. After the battle, she basically just nodded at him--then turned around and left. Cole seemed slightly disappointed that he didn't earn Taylor's respect. I could only put my hand on his shoulder and give him a comforting smile. Taylor would come around--it would just take some time. _

February 17 

Okay, note to myself? Hide this journal in a better spot. I caught Max *almost* looking in here. I would kill him if he ever found it and actually *read* through it.. Knowing Max, he'd probably go around announcing everything to everyone.

It's the usual routine for us--I get up before everyone else and make breakfast. I'm getting used to Cole being here with us, and again guess who's the only person not yet adjusted to our new leader. I feel sorry for Cole because I know he's trying, but Taylor's not budging. Wait, hold on. I'll have to finish this up later. The Sacred Fountain just started erupting. 

9:08 P.M. 

Okay, I'm back. Another fun-filled, Org butt-kicking day =) I got pretty beat up from the Org protecting Cole. Cole's totally not into violence--he tried to talk the Org out of fighting with us, and I felt so bad for him when he realized that there wasn't any other choice than to fight the Orgs. He was trying to convince Taylor that Orgs were probably just like lost animals and that maybe we could talk them out of hurting other creatures. Taylor was irritated with Cole's outlook on the Orgs, and I could see why. She was a ranger and had been dealing with the Orgs for over a year now--she knows what they're like. "I just. . .I don't like the idea of hurting anything," Cole said. I nodded and sighed. "I don't like the idea either, Cole--but we have to. These Orgs won't listen to us." "They'll understand. As long as they have hearts, they'll listen." _The big surprise? Orgs don't have hearts. Cole has this ability to listen out for creatures' hearts, and he didn't hear one with the Org's. When he finally decided to fight, he had this heartbroken look on his face, like he had lost a battle--even after we had won the battle against the Org. I looked for Cole after we got onto the Animarium, and tried to see if he was okay._ Cole smiled sadly. "I just wish we had another way to stop this. All this fighting. . .it doesn't solve anything." "Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't--but I think what we're fighting for is worth the fight. Our mission is to protect the Earth against all enemies. We were chosen by our Spirit Animals because we proved worthy to them that we could handle the mission," I replied. Cole turned to me. "How were you chosen by the Tiger?" "It was nothing special," I said, shaking my head. "I don't really want to bore you with that story." "Come on!" Cole said, his eyes widening expectantly. He smiled. "I'll tell you why the Lion chose me if you'll tell me why the Tiger chose you." I grinned back at him. "And how would you know why the Lion chose you?" "Because he told me," Cole said matter-as-factly. _He was so cute, journal. Almost boyish--and he was asking so nicely, I couldn't refuse._ "He told you?" I asked, surprised. When Cole nodded, I looked at him, confused. I had never known any of the Wild Zords to speak before. Before I could even ask Cole, he said, "Come on, tell me how you were chosen." "Okay, okay. . .well, one day on my way back to the dorm, I saw an Org attacking a dog on the street. For some reason, the Org was picking on just that dog and I felt so sorry for him, since I love dogs so much. Anyway, I just fought off the Org and after the Org ran off, my lucky charm, which was actually my animal crystal, started glowing." I turned to Cole, who was smiling. "That's nice of you," he replied softly. "You didn't think that was a wimpy way of being chosen?" Cole shook his head. "No! I hope you don't either." "Well, Max laughed his head off when I told him the story." I said wryly. "And how'd he get chosen?" "Oh, he just saved two people from an Org." Cole shrugged. "We all have different talents and skills--just because you had saved an animal from an Org and Max saved _people_, doesn't mean that he's better." _He was giving me advice--and here *I* was supposed to be the one comforting him! But he's a pretty good talker._ I smiled at Cole. "You're right," I agreed. "Oh and Cole? About Taylor. . .don't worry, I'm sure she'll come around." "She doesn't seem to like me too much," Cole replied. "It's like everything I do isn't good enough for her standards." "Well, that's just the way Taylor is. You should've seen how it was when Max first joined the team. She used to rip him left and right for small mistakes he made during battles. It used to frustrate Max, but it actually made him stronger. He made even less mistakes during battles and he fights a lot better now than when he first started." I put my hand on Cole's shoulder reassuringly. "If I know Taylor, I bet she's priming you up for battle against the Orgs, because you're an awesome leader, Cole." "Really?" I nodded. "You care about your team--and you care about others and because of that, you're willing to put yourself on the line for everyone else. To me, that's an awesome leader." When Cole smiled, I could tell he was touched by the words I said. "Thanks, Alyssa." I smiled back at him. "We don't all bite Cole, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." _Know what else I found out about Cole? He's away from his home--and searching for his parents. I don't know the full story (he wasn't ready to give me all the details), but I knew one thing--Cole need a friend. And I'm totally willing to be there for him. Oh yeah, and the Lion said he chose Cole because he was the right person to complete the team. He was the only one that could lead the team in a way that would allow all of us to use our individual talents. Honestly? I don't know what the heck the Lion meant by saying that, but of all the things I learned since being a ranger, I know that the Lion is wise--he knows what he's talking about. I *do* understand one thing the Lion was talking about. Even though I don't consider the team complete yet, I know we will be--and I don't think we'll have to wait very long. _


	2. Icebreakers

Journey (Icebreakers) by stargazer_1017 **Disclaimer:** In the first part of the story **Author's Notes:** See, told ya I'd come out with a second part =) Then this'll be my last update on the story till I get back.   
Thanks to everyone that reviewed--I'm glad that you enjoyed the first part, and I'm very motivated to finish up this story (adds "Journey" to the growing list of fics to finish). Journey  
Icebreakers  
By: stargazer_1017 

_February 24 _

Guess what? Today's Danny's birthday! I can't believe the guy didn't tell us. Well, we've only known him for almost two months, so I guess we haven't really bonded but still, it's something to share! I love birthdays. It's a great time to celebrate one's life and eat some cake too *grin* I'm actually writing this journal while trying to bake Danny's cake. He doesn't know that I know about his birthday--actually he doesn't know that any_ of us know that it's his birthday, so we're gonna throw a little surprise party. I hope he doesn't freak out about it. Some people don't actually like surprise parties._ "Are you kidding me? He'd love it," Max said, waving his arm dismissedly in the air. "A buff guy like him doesn't get scared easily--well, except maybe climbing mountains and jumping buildings." "Some people don't actually like suprise parties, Max," Taylor pointed out. She was sitting at the table, reading a magazine. "_You_ may not like surprise parties, Taylor," Max said, walking towards her. Taylor rolled her eyes as Max took a seat across her. "But I think it'd be good for Danny. He might not have gotten a lot of surprise parties." "What do you mean?" Cole spoke up from a tree branch on the tree next to the table. Max shrugged. "Well, his parents weren't really around much and he was an only child." _I guess that's why Danny was shy around others--he probably spent a lot of time by himself instead of with other people. I wonder if he'd be interested in having parents that watch your every move all the time._ I frowned slightly. "That's so sad," I said softly. "_I know_--exactly why we should have this party for him! To show him that _we_ can be his family." Cole jumped off the tree branch--without a wince, I might add. "That sounds like a great idea," he said. He looked at Max and I and we nodded in support. Then he turned to Taylor. "Taylor?" I could see Taylor's eyes narrow just the tiniest bit, and then return to her normal expression. "Fine." She said, and crossed her arms. "So, what's the game plan? I hope you're not expecting for everything to just show up and turn the place into a party." Cole looked a bit taken back, so I spoke up and said, "Well, I'd love to cook the food! How does cake and some barbeque sound?" Taylor nodded in approval. "I guess I could go to Turtle Cove and pick up some supplies to decorate the place." "Decorations? For what?" We all spun around to see Danny with a potted plant in his hands. "Uh. . ." Max trailed off. Taylor jumped up from her seat. "What I meant was decorations for the Animarium," she lied. "I was just thinking. . .we needed some, uh. .. paint! Yeah, some paint to liven up the place, and some posters of. . .fighter planes to make this place more comfortable. Yeah, that's it," Taylor clapped her hands together and smiled with satisfaction. _Taylor's the worst liar I've ever seen--now I've heard that *I* didn't make a good liar either (something about me stuttering and clasping my hands behind my back), but I could've done better than *that*. I think. I hope! Danny actually bought the excuse. He still looked uncertiain about the whole thing, but he shrugged it off. Now we had the problem of getting Danny out of the Animarium while we got the place ready. Max was our solution for that._ "Hey man, let's check out that. . .garden expo they've got downtown," Max said, running up to Danny. "Garden expo?" Danny echoed uncertainly. "I've never heard of such a thing." Max gave Danny a disbelieving look. "And you call yourself a gardener? Come on, let's go before we're late!" _Then he basically grabbed Danny by the arm and dragged him away. The only other person without a job was Cole--and Taylor was staring at him, waiting for an answer. I thought quickly and grabbed Cole by the arm and told Taylor I needed his help with the cooking. Cole looked relieved and Taylor looked slightly irritated by my gesture. Thank goodness she didn't say anything. She basically said, "All right, I'll be back" and then she was off. And yes, I got Cole to help me out in the kitchen--all this food prep, of course I'd need a dish-washer ;-) I could tell Cole was still confused by Taylor's demeanor, but he had to understand that Taylor isn't impressed so easily. You've gotta earn her respect. I explained it to Cole and he seemed disappointed, but he understood. So after everything was baked and decorated (and can you believe Taylor actually got Danny model Fighter planes? "It'd help him be more agressive," she insisted), we waited for Danny and Max to get back._ "I wonder where they could be," Taylor thought aloud. She paced back and forth in front of the Sacred Fountain and shook her head. "It doesn't take _that_ long to bring Danny around Turtle Cove to pretend to be _searching_ for the Garden Expo." "I'm sure they're fine," Princess Shayla, who was seated on the edge of the fountain, said, trying to calm Taylor down. Taylor stopped looked at her--and then she leaned over and adjusted the birthday hat Princess Shayla was wearing. "When they get back, everyone put your hats on!" Cole suddenly yelled out. "No way," was Taylor's immediate response. "Come on, Taylor--even Princess Shayla's wearing the hat!" I pointed out. Taylor raised her eyebrow at me. _Did she actually put it on, journal? Yep, she did--for a moment, at the end of the party, of course. I've got a picture to prove it *grin* It's definitely going on the wall. . .uh, tree. Danny and Max came back a few minutes later, and we all did the traditional surprise party thing--yelled "surprise" at him when he and Max entered. Danny was certainly touched. I don't think I've seen him so happy--or so talkative either. We talked a bit later, and he told me about his family life. His parents were workaholics, and they never really had time to do things with him. He just basically withdrew from other people and did things on his own. That's how he got into gardening--it was something that he could really call his own, yet he didn't feel alone because he was surrounded by his plants and flowers. I discussed with him how different our families were, and after he found out that my father pounded martial arts into me, he asked if I would be able to spar with him. _ "I don't think my fighting skills have been all that great. Maybe sparring with you will help me fight better," Danny said, taking a bite out of his cake. _So I agreed to spar with him everyday--in between classes from Turtle Cove University, of course. _

February 25 

Not much today. Oh, my dance teacher asked me if I wanted to participate in the Dance Expo, and I'm still considering it. I haven't really done competitions since doing Martial Arts tournaments. Hmm. . . 

February 26 

Finally! Cole and Taylor are on better grounds--and therefore, so is the team. What happened? Well, I thought it was going to end up being an all out brawl, but they worked out their differences and it's all thanks to, of all things, an Org. Taylor was angry this morning because Cole had said she made up too many rules. You should've seen Taylor's reaction. She looked so angry, she could've mentally thrown daggers through Cole. And I think if she got a hold of one of Danny's potted plants, she might've thrown it at him. Instead, she walked off. Taylor stormed off, heading towards the door, but I ran to block her path. "Taylor, he didn't mean to insult you," I said gently. I opened my mouth to say more, but Taylor just glared at me. "Whatever." With that, she moved around me and headed out the door. _Out of all the things to happen, Taylor runs into an Org--an Org that makes you invisible. Being herself, she tries to take on the Org on her own and becomes invisible. I didn't even think it was possible. She told us later that she was morphed while it happened, and I always figured the suit would protect her. Guess it didn't--and it's kinda scary. I mean, I know we're not *completely* protected by our Ranger suits, but I would think that it would take a lot to penetrate the suit like that. Cole was really angry with what happened, and blamed himself for what happened to Taylor--and he too went after the Org on his own. Know what's funny? I felt kinda jealous. I mean, I wonder if Cole would ever do that for me if I went invisible. I wonder if he'd go after the Org for me. Or maybe he would--I can only guess that he would because we're friends. Okay Max, you'd **better** have not read that last passage. I know you're still looking for this! Ahem. Anyway, all things ended well and we defeated the Org. Taylor got her image back, and she and Cole reconciled. Cole had proven himself to be worthy of Taylor's friendship. He had stood up for a friend and never once backed down. And the team feels a bit more connected now. I don't know, I can't describe it. . .I mean, when we found Cole we were finally a team--but now, I can't help but feel connected. We have a lot to work on between the five of us, definitely, but things are going to be okay. As long as we stay together, we'll be fine. Let's see, other than Org news. . .oh! I decided to actually do the Dance Expo, but Ms. Lawrence, my dance instructor, told me I'd have to practice probably an hour extra each day to keep up. Whew. . .and I thought I was already busy. I'm still sparring with Danny--and Max decided to join us too. Danny's gotten much better with fighting. He and Max still can't beat me, but I've noticed that Danny's a lot more comfortable throwing punches and kicks. Also got a call from one of my old friends, Barry Juarez. He told me he was thinking of enlisting into the military to help pay for school, since he found out he'd be running out of funds. I told him that I had a friend who was a pilot in the Air Force and suggested the Air Force. Barry said he'd think about it. He said he could probably stop by Turtle Cove during Spring Break, and I invited him to come and see me dance. Barry's a totally cool friend. In high school, he used to be in my circle of friends, which was made up of minorities. We all had basically the same background, so it was funny just trading stories of childhood. Whoops, it's getting late. I should probably get to bed--I start my dance routine practice tomorrow._


End file.
